Concede
by Define Me
Summary: Elefun is summoned in the midst of an emergency. Slave AU


**I do not own Astro Boy or any of its characters.**

**~Concede~**

Dr. Elefun gripped the steering wheel hard. His heart pounded against his ribcage, as if desperate to escape the stress of his mind. He was thankful for the lack of cars on the road as he swerved between the individuals before him. He didn't have time to waste.

It was approximately 2am. At first, he'd been cross at being awoken by a call from Tenma, assuming the man wanted nothing more than to vent to him as he usually did. However, his annoyance immediately fizzled at the frantic news he recieved.

Stopping in front of the ministry, he pushed the door open. A blast of frigid air hit him, the smell of rain thick as dark clouds loomed overhead. He didn't care to lock the car or put on his coat before he started running toward the entrance. Swiping his card through the reader, he was happy to find the doors unlocked. Light bloomed through the lobby at his presence and the automatic welcome greeted him. Jogging to the nearest elevator, he slammed down on the button as if it were the cause of all his problems. He fidgeted impatiently as he rose slowly to the penthouse, the cheery music more obnoxious than ever. When the doors opened, he was met with a bright, glossy hallway. Finely polished granite floors with large, frosted glass windows leading to a sleek steel door. He had only been here a handful of times, each usually better than the last.

His shoes clicked crisply as he crossed to the other side, swinging the door open as if he owned the place.

"Tenma!" he called.

No answer.

Fear coursed through him, causing a chill to run up his spine. Feverishly, he sped through the corners of the house, searching for any sign of life. Worry began to seize him as he stopped under the arch of the living room.

"Ten-!"

He paused when he caught sight of his friend's back. The man was crouched in front of the sofa and, more importantly, a small robot.

Elefun felt an enormous swell of emotion at that moment. Relief, joy, excitement...anger. Until now, he hadn't realised how much Astro truly meant to him. He wanted nothing more than to run up and smother the boy in bone crushing hug.

But he couldn't.

It would only do more damage.

They'd been devastated to learn of Astro's disappearance. Abducted without a single trace. With the city still on The Surface, there was no way of knowing where he was. Over two weeks of searching was put out by the ministry. There wasn't a wink of sleep for either of them. Just dozens of cups of coffee and the frustration of trying to trace the core. Of course, it was Tenma who had managed to gather a strong enough signal. But despite the happiness he felt, he couldn't have prepared for where he found him.

It was no surprise that slave rings existed all across The Surface. It was one of the darkest fragments of society and never in a thousand years did they expect it to hit so close to home. Tenma was thankful he'd gotten there before the boy could be sold or used for money, though it didn't make the established suffering disappear. It hurt even more to know this was considered normal...robots weren't citizens, they didn't have rights to protect them from abuse or slavery. No one cared. Why should they? Robots were incredibly easy to replace.

Elefun was pulled from his thoughts when he heard his friend's voice.

"He hasn't moved an inch since I brought him back. He won't even talk to me."

Sighing sadly, he gazed sympathetically at the child. He was curled into a tight ball on the sofa, his legs drawn up to his chest with his face half hidden behind his arms. His hazel eyes were dull and he refused to look at either of them. Taking in a breath, he spoke

"Let me try..." he said, strolling over to the pair.

Elefun could sense the growing tension in Astro as he approached, his small stature bringing them eye-to-eye. Tenma bit his lip, anxious for interaction. Without a second thought, he stretched out a hand.

"Hey..." he uttered softly, brushing his fingers lightly over his knuckles.

The reaction was instantaneous. Flinching at the contact, Astro wrenched his arms away, hiding them behind his legs as he struggled to move farther into the cushions. His eyes held shock and shame. Elefun held a hand up to the man, requesting stillness. Aside from being a brilliant scientist, he also majored as a robot behaviorist. He often compared machines to animals, in which if you provoke them they will instinctively attempt to defend themselves, though the Laws of Robotics forbade such actions. He had to treat the situation carefully. Though he knew Astro would never intentionally hurt them, he could still be regarded as incredibly dangerous.

"I need to examine him."

Risking a closer proximity, he slowly extended his hands. Hazel eyes followed his every move, but as soon as realisation struck, the robot jerked his body away. The hands paused.

"Hey, it's alright. See?" he revealed his palms, "They're empty."

Astro stared at them, as if waiting for some trick to be revealed. Then, for the first time that night, he met his eyes. Elefun smiled reassuringly before moving the rest of the way. Astro stilled completely as fingers felt around his neck, however Elefun could still make out a slight tremble.

"Did you think that perhaps it's not him refusing to speak, but rather not having the ability?" he asked.

His own fears were concluded a second later and he wondered how he was going to admit that he was feeling for an absent voice box.

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